Before receiving this transfer from GD, I was living in a dilapidated house. I was worried for my child and I, since it was falling apart. I could not afford to build another, because I sell charcoal to earn a living, and the money I earn is too little and can barely sustain us. Once I received the transfer from GD, things changed for the better. I was able to build a house and no longer have to worry about our safety. I also bought a bed that is big enough to accommodate my child and I, as the previous one was too small. In addition to this, I bought two cows that can supply milk for the household. We no longer have to spend money on buying milk.

GiveDirectly has had a positive impact on the lives of many people in my community. Many of us have been able to build decent houses, acquire livestock, pay school fees for our children and set up small businesses. In my experience, I do not think that there's anything GiveDirectly doesn't do well.

I was happy to receive this transfer from GiveDirectly because it meant that I could finally build a house for me and my child. This was urgent, as the house I lived in before was in poor condition and was falling apart. I spent KES 18,150 on iron sheets, timber and other materials necessary for construction. Since the bed I had was too small and couldn't properly accommodate my child and I, I spent KES 7,000 to purchase a new one. Lastly, I spent KES 28,000 to acquire two cows. I can now save on the money that I used to spend on buying milk often and use it to meet other needs, and this has made my family's life better.

I was heading to the dam when my phone started ringing since I am illiterate I asked my cousin who is also my helper to confirm who it was. Upon checking, she realized that it was an Mpesa message from Segovia Technology. After hearing this awesome news couldn't contain my joy. I remember having returned home and started planning on how to spend the transfers.

For all those years I have solely been depending on the odd job with a meagre income and I could not sustain most of my family needs. Since I am a single parent I had to make all ends meet by all means and this made strain. From my daily hustle, I would sometimes earn 1.5 USD. However, after receiving my first transfer I thought purchasing an asset which will be a permanent solution to y daily troubles. I am hopeful and happier now because I managed to buy the cow and I am currently practising dairy farming. In the few weeks to come, I will be getting plenty litres of milk for free. This will be for the family's consumption and sell the remaining litres in the nearby dairy shops. A litre goes for 0.5 USD and I believe I will make good returns through this business. Hence fending for my two family members will not be difficult as before. Therefore having the dairy cow brings the biggest difference in my daily life.

I spent part a big portion of my first transfer o buying materials, iron sheets, threads and nails, and labor at 300 USD This was purely for the construction of a brand new house because the initial one was almost collapsing and I had no single cent to even renovate it. Also, I bought a dairy cow at 200 USD which is now acting as the security in case of any emergency that I may experience. With the remaining 50 USD, I bought enough foodstuffs for my family that would at least sustain us for the next three weeks.